Rabat – US authorities are hunting a suspect after a shooting that left at least two people dead and nine others injured at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Providence Police Chief Timothy O’Hara said the suspect is “a male dressed in black.”
The victims of the shootings were all students, according to reports.
Brown University student Theodore Coben said he learned about the shooting roughly 30 seconds after it happened on Saturday.
Speaking to CNN, Coben said someone had posted about the shooting on Yik Yak, an anonymous social media forum commonly used on college campuses.
Police released surveillance camera footage that shows the man walking out of the building following the attack. His face and weapon were not visible in the video.
“We have shared an image of the individual we believe to be the shooter, but we know that there wasn’t a clear shot of the face,” said Providence mayor Brett Smiley during a press conference on Saturday. Security experts said such footage is important as it provides a direction of the suspect’s travel.
President Donald Trump said he was briefed on the “terrible” situation. “All we can do right now is pray for the victims and for those who were very badly hurt,” he said.
The crime is the latest in a series of similar shootings that have spread fear across the country and renewed criticism of US gun policies.
One of the latest mass shootings took place in November, targeting a child’s birthday party in California. At least four people, including children, were killed, and the others were injured.
According to CNN data, the number of mass shootings at schools reached at least 70 in the US as of November 25. The year 2024 recorded the highest number of mass shootings at schools, with 78 attacks. The lowest number recorded was in 2008, with 18 attacks.
